Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-10-08
ss:ss ET
A HISTORY OF ADVENTURE
BY Il. RIDER HAGGARD.

lNO SldlltS. AS we CdiIlc lutN DbWGQ UutlG
heads in salutation, and then lifting their
long spears, placed them transversely
across their foreheadS. rs the leaders of
TIE troop that had met as had lone with
their ivory wands. We stepped between
them, and found ourselves in an exactly
similar passage TO that which led to our
own apartments, only this passage was,
comparatively speaking, brilliantly lighted.
A few PAGES down 1t we were met by four
m~utes-two men and two women-who
bowed low and then arranged themselves,
the women in front of and the men behind
us, and in this order we continued our pro-
cession past several doorways hung with
curtains similar to those leading to our
W quarter, and which | afterward found
opened out into chambers occupied by the
mutes who attended on She. A few PAGES
more, and we came to another doorway,
facing us, and not TO II left like the 9TH
ers, which seemed to mark the termlna-
ton OF the passage. Here two more white,
or rather yellow, robed guards were stand
ing, and they too bowed, saluted, and let
US pass through heavy curtains into n
great ante-chambcr, quite forty feet long,
by as many wide, in which some eight or
ten women, most Of them young and hand
some, with yellowish hair, sat on cushions,
working with ivory needles at what had
the appearance of being embroidery frames.
These women were also deaf and dumb.
AT the further end of this great lamp-lit
apartment was another doorway, closed
in with heavy Oriental-looking curtains,
quite unlike those that hung before the
doors Of our own apartments, and here
stood two particularly handsome girl
mutes, their heads bowed upon their
bosOms, and their hands crossed in III at
titude of the humblest submission. AS we
came up they each stretched out an arm
and drew back the curtains. Thereupon
Billali did a curious thing. Down he went,
that venerable looking old g~entleman-for
Billali is a gentleman az the bottom-down
on to his hands and knees, and in this I'M
dignified position, with his long white
beard trailing on the ground, he began TO
creep into the apartment beyond. | fol-
lowed him, walking on my feet in the us
ual fashion. Looking over his shoulder,
he perceived it.
Down, my son; down my Baboon; down
on thy hands and knees. We enter the
presence of She, and if thou art not hum
bic, of a surety she will blast thee where
thou standest."
/ halted, and felt scared. Indeed, my
knees began to give way of their w mere
motion; but reflection came to my aid. i
was al Englishman, and why, | asked my
self, should | creep into the presence OF
some savage woman as though l were a
monkey in fact as well as III name? L
would not and could not do it, that is, un-
less | was absolutely sure that my life de-
pended upon il. If once | began to creep
upon my knees, | should always have to
do SO, aad il would he q patent acknowl-
edgement of inferiority. So, fortified by
an insular prejudice against "kotouing,"
which has, like most Of our so-called pre-
JUDGES, a good deal of common sense to
recommend it, | marched in boldly after
Billali. found myself in another apart
ment, considerably smaller han the ante-
room, Of which the walt were entirely
hung with ~rich-looking curtains of the
same make as those over the door-the
work, rs | subsequently discovered, Of the
mutes who sat in the ante-chamber and
woyo them in strips, which were afterward
sewn together. Also here and there about
the room were settees Of a beautiful black
wood of the ebony tribe, inlaid with ivory,
and all about the floor were other tapes
tries, or rather rugs. At the top end OF
this apartment was what appeared to be
a recess, also draped in curtains, through
which shone rays of light. There was no
body in the place except ourselves.
Painfully and slowly OLD Billali crept up
the length Of the cave, and with the most
dignifed stride that | could command !
followed after him. But ] felt that it was
more or less Of a failure. To begin with,
1t is not possible To look dignitied when
you are following in the wake Of an old
man writing along IN his stomach like q
snake, and then, in order to go sufficiently
slowly, either had to keep my leg some
seconds in the air at every step, or else to
advance with a full stop between each
stride, like Mary Queen Of Scots going to
execution in u play. Billali was not good
at crawling-I suppose his years stood in
the way-and our progress up that apart
ment was a very long affair. | was i'm
mediately behind him, and several times
l was sorely tempted To help him on with
a good kick. 1t is so absurd to advance
into the presence Of savage royalty after
the fashion of an lrishman driving a pig
to market, for that is what we looked like,
and the idea nearly made me burst GU
| lalGHllG lItl anu liitlt. l. Itui ~ WDIh
my dangerous tendency TO unseemly mer.
riment of 10y blowing my nose-a proceed.
ing which filed old Billali with horror, for
be looked over his shoulder and made a
CHASTITY face At me, AID | heard him muir
mur. "Oh, my poor Baboon."
At last we reached the curtains, and here
Billali collapsed fiat on to his stomach,
with his hands stretched out before him
as though he were dead, and !, not know
ing what TO do, began TO stare about the
place. But presently l distinctly felt that
somebody was looking at me from behind
the curtains. | could not see the person,
but ] could distinctly feel his or her gaze,
and what is more, it produced a very odd
effect upon my nerves. / felt frightened,
/ don't know why. The place was a strange
one, IL is true, and looked lonely, Hotwith-
standing its rich ~hangings and the soft
glow OF the lamps; indeed, these accessories
added 70 rather than detracted from its
loneliness, just as a lighted street at night
has always a more solitary appearance than
a dark one. 1t was so silent in the place,
and there laid Billali like one dead before
the heavy curtains. through which the
odor cf perfume seemed TO float up toward
the gloom Of the arched root above. Minute
grew into minute and still there was no